Firefighters Rein In Blaze By Roosevelt At 250 Acres

A fire sparked by lightning that burned 250 acres of ponderosa pine and chaparral forest in a remote area near Roosevelt Lake has been contained.

The blaze, dubbed the Tanner Fire, was declared contained Wednesday afternoon, Tonto National Forest Public Affairs Officer Dave Killebrew said. Crews will, however, continue to monitor it for several more days.

At its peak, the fire was fought by 115 firefighters, including three Hot Shot crews and a Type 2 Native American team from Fort Apache, which, based on expertise, ranked one step below the Hot Shot crews.

Four helicopters provided water drops from Roosevelt Lake and ferried firefighters to the front lines.

The blaze was exceedingly tough to battle due to the remoteness of the area, which prohibited firefighters from reaching the blaze on foot.